VOLKSWAGEN has upgraded the security on the Polo hatchback with the introduction of new door and steering column locks. The new free-wheeling door locks are the same as those used in the Passat, which has also lent its steering wheel clutch mechanism to the Polo.

This prevents thieves from breaking the steering lock with brute force. If torque of more than 100 Nm is applied to the steering wheel the clutch mechanism allows it to slip, rather than break the lock, only to reactivate the lock when the pressure is released.

The Polo also receives a revised instrument panel, new outer air vents, an electrically adjustable headlight beam as standard across the range, and an upgraded Sony stereo system with touch controls.